


The magic flute

by darkrogue1 (Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse)



Category: Onmyouji | The Yin-Yang Master (Movies)
Genre: Imported, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-26
Updated: 2008-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-29 09:31:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7679227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse/pseuds/darkrogue1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Seimei's name is written  晴明 (clear(for the weather), luminous).</p></blockquote>





	The magic flute

Hiromasa x Seimei  
Rating PG  
Beta-read by [](http://hisoka44.livejournal.com/profile)**hisoka44**

AN :

 

Inspired by all the onmyouji fics I have read this week (probably every last one in English on the net) but mostly "Eyes open eyes closed" (<http://sahari.thinkers.org/fanfic/eyesopeneyesclosed.htm> now[ on the wayback machine ](https://web.archive.org/web/20080420063238/http://sahari.thinkers.org/fanfic/eyesopeneyesclosed.htm)) and by wikipedia's article on Minamoto no Hiromasa (which in turn led me to the text of the noh play Suzaku gate). 

_Now, on nights like tonight, Hiromasa, the Autumn Lord, came to Suzaku Gate to play his flute. He was joined by a strange figure who never spoke, but played wonderfully. One evening, they exchanged instruments. The spirit's flute, which Hiromasa was given, is also known by its name Hafutatsu. It is said that the flute now remains at Byodoin Temple._  

As I rewatched the film I noticed Hiromasa already has Ha-futatsu so this is a what-if story, in a universe where Hiromasa has not gained Ha-futatsu yet when he meets Seimei.

The question that lead to this fic : why would a spirit want to exchange a legendary flute against a normal one, not accounting for the player's talent ?

 

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Abe no Seimei was sitting on the outside platform of his house -- made for contemplating the moon or the garden -- leisurely leaning against one of the wooden pillars which supported the roof. Slit eyes half closed, he was neither looking into the outside night towards the waxing moon amidst the stars, nor towards the late blooming shiragiku(1) over which Mitsumushi was fluttering. Instead he was currently watching his evening visitor play the flute, relaxing to the calm music which soothed him by its melancholic beauty.

As he often did nowadays, Minamoto no Hiromasa had come for a companionable evening talk and tonight, after some shared cups of sake, the onmyouji had asked him to play. Sometimes when he was feeling like it -- often after he had met some unreachable lady -- the young noble would decide by himself to start playing a tune into the night to placate his inner demons, but sometimes Seimei just wished to hear his friend playing for him as was the case today. 

There was something magical in the way the musician wove his melody, some timeless mystery which transcended the onmyouji's field of expertise and left him both wondering and admirative. Seimei never tired of listening Hiromasa play.

But tonight there was something new in the air: some enticing spell in the musical phrases or perhaps a softer and clearer sound,  drawn from the player's breath. Still Seimei found himself taken by it. He watched the gentle ballet of Hiromasa's fingers over the flute, how his mouth delicately pressed against the blow-hole, lulled by the sensuous sound. How that mouth seemed ensnaring tonight with its soft touch over the pale wood!

Seimei blinked. It must have been an illusion; the flute player was not playing any differently from any other night. Still he was now wide awake and genuinely interested, his senses on alert like every time he sensed some supernatural force afoot.

"Hiromasa," he said with amusement, now that he had understood where the change laid. "Did you happen to exchange your flute against an enchanted one?"

The music stopped abruptly in mid-sentence as the young man sputtered his surprise.

"Seimei!" He said, letting his arms drop back to his sides. "Of course I did not! My other flute is still at home and safe." 

Then something else in Seimei's words reached his comprehension and he almost dropped the instrument he held so preciously. 

"Is... is this flute cursed?" He asked, suddenly worried from Seimei's mocking smirk. Was this another of the onmyouji's tricks or had he really been playing an accursed flute?

"I don't know yet, but it might as well be." 

Truthfully Seimei could not detect anything definitely magic in the flute Hiromasa was holding. His wards had yet to activate either. Yet it still held a strong impression of power. 

Hiromasa shakily moved forward, holding out his flute for inspection, but as the onmyouji just watched it without making a move or a sound, he carefully set it down on the tray supporting bowls of food for Seimei to examine it at his leisure.  

Abe no Seimei usually paid no care to normal senses of propriety and yet tonight he felt reluctant to take the flute for a closer look or even touch his friend's belongings. He inspected it pointedly from where he sat -- now straighter -- instead, muttering potent words under his breath, directing them with commanding finger moves in the air.

He could not detect anything supernatural in the piece of bamboo which lay on the tray. Then why had it seemed so powerful in his friend's hands? 

"There is no curse," he stated finally in the deep poised voice he used in everything concerning his work. 

Hiromasa let out a sigh and reached out to take his instrument back. "What a relief. I wondered how it could have been anyway, since I never once let it out of reach yet." 

Seimei halted his move at that, then he smiled; the mystery was half solved. His friend had made the flute himself. The corners of his lips faintly turned upward in amusement, he asked. "Does this newborn flute happen to have a name?"

"I... of course not! I don't have enough talent to name a flute I made for my own pleasure and it certainly has not existed long enough to receive an official one," Hiromasa protested, confirming Seimei's deduction. 

Seimei did not comment and poured some sake for his friend instead, who accepted it gratefully.  

"But you did give it a name, a secret one," Seimei said offhandedly as his friend had started drinking. 

Hiromasa's reaction was telling, he almost choke on the clear sake.

"Seimei!" 

"I'm proud of you. You created your very own spell," he commented. Even if the simplest spell was a name, Hirumasa had managed to worry him with its power and this particular feat still earned Hiromasa sincere admiration from Seimei. 

"Seimei, but I did no such thing." 

Feigning to look away but still watching the young man from the corner of his eyes, Seimei went on as if Hiromasa had not said anything. "A powerful name, probably one of a real person. So this name..." he said suggestively. "...might it perchance be that of a young court lady?" 

A red hue faintly tainted Hiromasa's cheek and abruptly he stood up and turned away, then taking up his flute again, started to play where he had left off.

From Hiromasa's reaction, Seimei knew that he had not been pinpoint right, but still not to far from the truth either. Not a lady then? 

The sound of the flute was clear and almost as bright as a cloudless summer sky.  

Seimei's eyes suddenly darted upwards to Hiromasa's slightly flushed face again. Then he looked down to search for his sake cup and slowly brought it to his lips, hiding a rare genuine smile. 

Seimei did not press on. Now that the mystery was solved, there was no urgency. Instead he settled against the pillar again and let himself be lulled by Hiromasa's music and spell, watching his fingers and mouth conjuring voices of heavenly souls.

This should be something to savour, slowly. The music evoked emotions that he never thought he could feel, some Seimei was not sure he was very comfortable with. Still Hiromasa was a good man, a patient man, he did not seem ready to face the consequences of his spell either ; Seimei would take his time.

Seimei looked outside, towards the blooming shiragiku and smiled.  

Clear and luminous the flute resounded in the garden and beyond. 

A powerful name indeed.   
   
 

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(1) shiragiku : white chrysanthemum, meaning truth.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Seimei's name is written 晴明 (clear(for the weather), luminous).


End file.
